Firearm ok ordnance



UNITED STATES PTENT orFron JOHN P. SCHENKL, OF WOROESTER, MASS'ACHUSETTS, ASSIGNR 'IO HIMSELF, AND

ED'WD.A. DANA, O1? BOSTON;' MASSAOHUSETTS.

IEIREAR1VI OR ORDNAN-CE.

Specificationof LettersPatent No. 21802,-da11ed October12, 1858.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it kno-wn thatI, JOHN P; SOHENKL, of the city and county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have made a new and useful invention or Improvement in Firearms or Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanyng drawings, of Which F igure 1 denotes a longitudinal sect1-on of the lower part of the barrel of a firearm as furnishecl With my invention the saidsection loeing taken through the touch-hole or vent; Fig. 2 is a sde view of the hollovv tige 01 secondarybarrel to be heremafter clescribed. Fig. 3 is a front end v1ew of the said tige. Fig. 1 is a section ofthe sa1dsecondary barrel and a hollow M1n1 hall or bullet.

My invention consists in providing the ordinary barrel of the piece, whether smooth bored or rifled, With a smaller barrel hollow tige or tube fixed in and projecting from the center of the bottom or breech of sa d ordinary barrel and not only opening at 1ts exterior end into the chamber oit the pece, but at or toward its ether end opening into the touch-hole or vent of the nipple in such manner that the fire 'communicated through the nipple -or touch-hole can enter the chamber of the piece only through the smaller barrel or tube, the smaller barrel or'tube to be so proportionedin height and diameter that the charge of powder shalllie, part of it within and part of it around it, and that the projectile or charge of shot shall rest upon and cover the exterior end of it, thus completely separating the powder into two parts, one being withn the smaller barrel or tube and the other, outside and around it, the inner barrel or tube to be of a capacity to hold a quantity of powder sufficient when exploded to overcome the 02's inerticc of the projectile, or the chargeof shot and put it in motion. The projecting end of the smaller barrel or tube may have a flat surface to receivethe wad when a charge of small shot is used, or it may be made vvith a concave edge to receive the round ball, or it may be made conioal so as to enter, fit and press expandingly against the inner vvall of the chamber of the Mini or elongated hollOW projectile and it may be made; vvith a sharp edge either entire o-rserrated for the purpose of cutting and breakingthe lovver end of the cartridge when that is used in loacling thepractical operation andefiects ofall which When the piec e is fired are as follows viz: The fire communicated through the nipple first ignites-the powder within the smaller barrel or tube, the explosion of which acting first upon the projectile or the charge of shot and overcomingits m's z'nertzce, and putting it in moti-on, next andinstantaneously communicates and explodes the powderlying outsde and around the hollovv barrel or tube igniting it= at its exterior surface.

My invention also further embraces an arrangement of the touch-hole of the hollOw tigeviz. in the breech screw thereof, and sthatwhen the said breech screw is in place in the main barrel not only shall its touchhole communicate wit-h that of the main barrel, but the breech screw shallintercept all communication of the touchhole of the main barrel with the bore ofthesaid main barrel except through the toueh-holeand bore of'the tige or secondary barrel.

The aclvantages of the foregoing invention' or iniprovement are, first, that only a part of the powder is used in overcoming the m's z'nerzicc ofthe projectile or the charge of shot, the explosion ofthe rest taking place after the projectile or the chargeof shot has been put in motion, thus giving it increased velocity and diminishing the recoil of the piece; second the first impetus being delivered direotly against the center of the pro jectile or the charge of shot, must give it a direction exactly in the line of the axis of the barrel; third, when the expanding er Miniprojectile is used the first or central opening direotly into thetouch hole 5, and

through the side of the main barrel, or insteadthereof, the touch hole of the barrel B maybe otherwise suitably arrangedij In case it may open direetly into the touch hole o vent hole b,of the'mainbarrel the breech pin of such"barrelshould so cover or surround the touch hele b, as to preventany fiame from the priming when exploded trom passing into the main barrel except through the touch-hole and bore of the secondary barrel. In other words as it may ften be convenient to provide a common musket 0r rifle with my improvement and so that such musket 01 rifle may be used either with "01 without such improvement, the female screw 7, of the breech may extend in the direct-ion of the muzzle beyond the touch hole b, in order that the breech pin of the secondary barrel may project beyond such touch hole and cut 0 communication between it and the b01e of the barrel A, except such communication be made through the touch-hole or vent of the secondary barrel. Under such circumstances it Will be seen that with a common screw breech pin the musket or firearm may be used in the ordinary manner; also, that by removing such breech and screwing the breech of the secondary barrel 01 hollow tige into the primary barrel we can employ the secondary barrel within the main barrel and thus attain the advantages thereof.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the barrel provided with my invention.

The front end of the tige 01 secondary barrel I provde with a tapering head 01" bullet spreader 2, and terminate the same in a cutting edge notched or serrated as shwn at 7a. The object of the spreader is to expand a bullet and make it fit closely to the grooves or bore of the gun when such bullet is formed With a recess in its butt, or in ether words is constructed in such respects, like the BIini ball. By making a cutter in the end of the secondary barrel a cartridge Will be easily perforated when driven down upon the tige during the act of loading the fire-arm, and it the cutting edge be serrated or notched the covering of the cartridge Will be torn apart rather than cut. In the process of loading the secondary barrel receives a portion of the powder of the charge, tlie remaining part thereof extending around the tige and in the main chamber of the gun, at the same time the bullet will cver or be made to rest either upon 0r against the front end of thetige.

The particular object of my i1wention is to dilninish recoil of the gun or firearmdnr ing the discharge 0f it, it being well known that diminntion 0f recoil is a matter of great importance. In order to accomplish this, I overcome the mis ine1tice of the ball by the discharge against it of the contents of the secondary barrel, Wl11Cll taking place causes fire to be communicated to the frontpart of the powder, Which may surround the inner barrel or tige. In this way such portion of the charge is made to burn backward and to operate with the best e1ect in discharging the bullet from the gun.

I have found by practical experience that a reat diminution of recoil in a musket or rifle provided With my improvement in comparson to what occurs in the same musket constructed in the ordnary way.

By combining the spreader wit-h the sec- 0ndary barrel 0r hollow tige the latter is made capable of perforrning not only its functions of overcomingthe m's inertz'ce of the ball and inflaming the main charge at its front end, but those of spreadng the hall or bullet when the latter is rainmed down upon the spreaderas well as when the discharge of the load of the tige takes place, the conical or tapering end of thetige serving t0 effect a close fit of the bullet, whereby the expansion of it is greatly facilitated. Furthermore, the spreader at its base is madelarger in diameter than that part of the secondary barrel wth which it mmediately connects. Ths is to facilitate the escape of the powder from the cartridge and around the tige. The spreader also serves t0 spread orexpand the cartridge and break it open s0 as to loosen the powder and thereby further aid in its escape fron1 the cartridgeinto the cha1nber of the gun.

I clain1 1. In combinatcn with the bore 0r chamber of afire-arm orpiece of ordnance, a secondary and smaller firearm 0r barrel arranged within it substantially in manncr and to operate as described.

I do not claim a conical tige as used in the caaabfle tz'ge and for the purpose of spreading a hall, but what I claim is 2. Theconical or taperihg spreader 01' end of the tige in connection 0r ccimbination With the chamber within the tige and to operate in manner as specified.

3. I also claim the improvement of the chambered tige 0r secondary barrel as made with a cutting front end and particularly as made with a serrated end as specified.

4. I also claim the arrangement of the. touch-hole of the hollow tige in the breech screw thereof in such manner that when the breech screw is in place in the main barrel not only shall its touchhole communicate With that of the main barrel, butthe breech screw shall intercept all communication of the touch hole of the main barrel with the bore or chamber of such main barrel except through the tuch-hole and b0re of the secondary barrel.

5. I also claim the improved combination of tige, that is with the base of the spreader, made of greatr diameter than the neck 01 part of the tige, whichis immediately belcw itthe same being for the prpose as set forth.

JOHN P. SCHENIIL.

Vvitnesses 

